My Dad doesn't have oral cancer. He had a lump on the side of his neck (outside on top of the skin) about the size of a pencil eraser for many years that suddenly began to grow in Oct 2012 so they removed it & found it was a basolsquamous carcinoma tumor. The said that Basol & squamous are two types of skin cancer. He had 33 sessions of radiation afterwards that ended in march 2013. They thought it was successful. His pet scan shows spots on his right lung in June 2013. They did a needle biopsy in July 2013 & confirmed its the same type of cancer. Because his tumor was on his neck, he is put in the head and neck cancer group. He was not given the same type of work ups that the average person gets. At first I thought it was because they started his surgery thinking it was not cancer so nobody planned anything in advance? Now I am not so sure.

They have had plenty of time to add specialists to his care since his surgery in Oct 2012 & still he has no preventative care, or any type of on going assistance. I am trying to figure out what should have happened & find the type of care he needs to start it now. He has great insurance. He has a catastrophic rider to bridge the gap on anything they do not pay 100% so he should be able to get quality health care. Right? They suggested he see his dentist before radiation.

No one put him on anything to prevent damage to his saliva glands or throat during his treatments. No one told him about anything to help the burns on his chest & throat area so he endured it. He has not eaten since Feb 2013 & has no feeding tube or iv therapy. He has survived by eating scrambled eggs he blends with chocolate ensure until its liquid and then pours it down his throat twice a day. He drinks water inbetween & has lost almost 80 lbs since his surgery. He has told them many times that he wants to eat & cannot do it & no one has done anything for him.

I started going with him to his appointments & fired his Oncologist because I felt he did not have enough experience (at 40 years old with 4 1/2 years at being a doctor) to handle my Fathers case. I took my parents to this doctors office to hear the results of the biopsy & he was cautioned in advance several times not to speak in front of my mom if it was bad news - and he ignored all requests. He just "blurted out" that he was right & it was the same type of cancer now in his lung. He said there is no cure. Then he said there is no hope so don't fool ourselves. He said my Dad had about 2 - 3 months tops before death. He said my Dad could try chemo if he wanted to but he doubted he would be able to handle it (due to back problems & inability to sit in one place very long). He said with chemo we might get another 30 days but there is a the quality vs quantity issue we need to consider first. Then he said if you want to try chemo don't wait and lets get you started now. He suggested chemo with Erbitux at a "standard" or "average" type of therapy. I declined, after I got a hold of my father and then my mother which were both freaking out at that point.

I took him to another doctor for a second opinion who said totally the opposite about my Dad.